Portable tray assembly

ABSTRACT

A portable tray assembly includes a tray, a set of legs, a cup holder, and a slot. The tray has a lower surface and an upper surface. The leg assembly is coupled to the lower surface and has two sets of legs configured to pivot relative to one another and the tray for ease of storage. The cup holder passes through the tray and has a net configured to selectively collapse into the tray to permit functioning of the leg assembly. The slot extending down from the upper surface and including at least one hole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates to a tray assembly, and more particularly to a portable tray for use when sitting.

2. Description of Related Art

For a long time people have desired to have a flat surface to use while they sit in chairs not adapted for tables. These chairs can be lawn chairs, sofas, loveseats, or any chair away from a bar top or table top. Customary trays used historically are those for TV dinners which have a set of legs that open up and straddle the user. The legs rest on the seat which the user also sits on. A disadvantage of these trays is that because they sit on the same seat as the user, the seat can be a cushion and make the tray unstable. Another design is to have a tray assembly that rests on the ground. The legs elevate the base tray to a particular height

Although strides have been made, shortcomings remain.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present application to provide a portable tray assembly that includes a slot for holding an electronic device and a collapsible cup holder. The tray is ideally suited for providing a flat surface to work or eat at. Additionally it is configured to provide a folding position to allow easy storage.

Ultimately the invention may take many embodiments. In these ways, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages inherent in the prior art. The more important features have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and to ensure that the present contribution to the art is appreciated. Additional features will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Many objects of the present application will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the various purposes of the present design. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the application itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable tray assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the portable tray assembly of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is an alternate view of the portable tray assembly of FIG. 2 with a cup holder removed.

FIG. 4 is a lower perspective view of the portable tray assembly of FIG. 1 .

While the embodiments and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the application to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Illustrative embodiments of the preferred embodiment are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

In the specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as the devices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present application, the devices, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the embodiments described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.

The embodiments and method in accordance with the present application overcomes one or more of the above-discussed problems commonly associated with the prior art discussed previously. In particular, the portable tray assembly includes a collapsible cup holder to permit functioning of the leg assembly between positions as well as a slot to hold electronic devices. The slot may include a hole for passage of cords. These and other unique features are discussed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments and method will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the assembly may be presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless otherwise described.

Referring now to the Figures wherein like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements in form and function throughout the several views. The following Figures describe embodiments of the present application and its associated features. With reference now to the Figures, embodiments of the present application are herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 in the drawings, assorted views of the portable tray assembly 101 is illustrated. Tray assembly 101 is configured to be a portable assembly to facilitate the erection of a flat surface at a selected height. The height is determined by the legs but is ideally suited for use while sitting in a chair. The flat surface of the tray may be used to perform work or even eating. The assembly as a whole may be made from many types of materials including any of the following, such as wood, metal, composite, and so forth.

As seen in FIG. 1 , tray assembly 101 includes a tray 103, a leg assembly 105, a slot 107, and a cup holder 109. Tray 103 is configured with an upper surface 111 and a lower surface 113 (see FIG. 4 ). Edge treatments are possible and included for comfort. Tray may be made from many types of materials as noted above. The upper surface 111 is ideally relatively flat.

Cup holder 109 is situated within tray 103 and is configured to seat within an aperture 117. Aperture 117 passes through tray 103 from upper surface 111 through lower surface 113. Cup holder 109 passes partially through aperture 109 and is configured to extend therethrough creating a pocket for the holding of cups or other items. Cup holder 109 includes a rim 116 and a net 114. Rim 116 is a hardened material such as a plastic that is formed to fit within aperture 117. Ideally rim 116 is configured to be flush with upper surface 111 and therefore may rest within a lip of aperture 117. Net 114 is coupled to rim 116 and extends downward past lower surface 113. Net 114 is configured to form a closed shape at the bottom beneath tray 103. Net 114 is flexible and may be of any flexible material. For example, it is understood that net 114 is not restricted to netting materials but may be cloth, leather, woven fabrics, or any type of flexible material.

As seen in FIG. 4 , when tray 103 is set for operational use and the leg assembly is extended, netting 114 extends therethrough. Tray assembly 101 includes a leg assembly seen in this Figure wherein two sets of legs 118 a and 118 b are hingedly coupled to one another around at a mid point of each set of legs. This coupling permits the legs to pivot relative to one another about axis 122 and facilitate one leg collapsing into and adjacent to the other wherein the lie next to one another. In this configuration, tray 103 can pivot about axis 119 and lay against the collapsed leg assembly. This collapsed position is for storage.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the leg assembly 105 is in a deployed position orienting the tray 103 in a horizontal plane as opposed to a vertical plane when collapsed. To pass between positions, legs 118 a translates along lower surface 113 past aperture 117 and cup holder 109. If cup holder 109 were rigid, such operation would not be possible for assembly 101 and assembly 101 would have to remain in a deployed position. However, net 114 is configured to collapse into tray 103 to permit legs 118 a to pass by and rest adjacent to legs 118 a. A stop 123 is used to prevent over rotation of legs 118 a past axis 119. Additionally, a stop 125 is used to stop rotation past an edge of tray 103. A bar 127 extends between the individual legs of legs 118a. Bar 127 slides between rod 129 and lower surface 113. Rod 129 keeps legs 118a adjacent tray 103 during movement and when at rest.

The ability of cup holder 109 to collapse at least partially below lower surface 113 is a key to permitting the functional use of a cup holder on a flat collapsible tray assembly. It is understood that cup holder 109 may be removable and/or replaceable with any other insert.

Referring back to FIGS. 1-3 , tray 103 includes a slot 107. Slot 107 extends below upper surface 111 but not wholly through tray 103. Slot 107 includes a depth, width, and length. A purpose for slot 107 is to secure and hold one or more electronic devices 99 such as a tablet, phone, and the sort. These devices are inserted into slot 107 and are cantilevered therein by contacting the opposing sides of slot 107. Slot 107 also may include one or more holes 112 that pass all the way through lower surface 113. These permit cords from the electronic devices to be neatly ran through tray 103 without having to cover upper surface 111 and drape over the edge of tray 103.

Many features of this assembly are considered unique and not obvious, including at least the following: 1) use of a cup holder on the tray; 2) the cup holder passing through the tray and extending below a lower surface; 3) the cup holder being collapsible within the tray to permit function of the legs to translate; 4) the inclusion of a slot for holding electronic devices; and 5) holes within the slots to pass cords therethrough.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the application may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. It is apparent that an application with significant advantages has been described and illustrated. Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, it is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable tray assembly, comprising: a tray having a lower surface and an upper surface; a leg assembly coupled to the lower surface; a cup holder passing through the tray; and a slot extending down from the upper surface.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly includes two sets of legs.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the leg assembly is configured to pivot the two sets of legs relative to one another.
 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the tray is configured to pivot relative to the leg assembly.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cup holder includes a net and a rim, the net extending at least partially below the tray.
 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the rim seats in an aperture of the tray.
 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the net selectively collapses within the aperture.
 8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cup holder is removable.
 9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the slot includes at least one hole that passes completely through the lower surface of the tray.
 10. A portable tray assembly, comprising: a tray having a lower surface and an upper surface; a leg assembly coupled to the lower surface, the leg assembly having two sets of legs configured to pivot relative to one another and the tray for ease of storage; a cup holder passing through the tray and having a net configured to selectively collapse into the tray; and a slot extending down from the upper surface and including at least one hole.
 11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the cup holder includes a rim.
 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the rim seats in an aperture of the tray.
 13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the cup holder is removable. 